Toronto's September 2 storm brings 'month's worth' of rain in hours, reignites climate debate
A 100-year storm hit Wednesday, flooding homes and downing trees across the city. Experts warn more intense storms are coming.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Month's worth of rain fell across Toronto in just hours on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 2, in what city officials called a 100-year storm. The downpour marked the wettest September 2 on record, with powerful winds that toppled trees and left tens of thousands without power at peak.
Don River burst its banks, the Don Valley Parkway closed, homes flooded, subway service suspended, and Toronto Island ferry service halted. Power was restored by Thursday morning, Sept. 3, and the parkway reopened the same day. The Canadian National Exhibition, transit and city-run summer camps resumed operating.
Weather experts confirmed the rainfall totals. City manager Paul Johnson said the rain quantity qualified the event as a 100-year storm by Toronto's definition. A similar 2005 storm prompted mitigation and protection work around the city — work Johnson said "has been working" during Wednesday's deluge.
But the storm has reignited urgent questions about whether Toronto is truly ready for the climate it faces. Four 100-year storms have struck Toronto in the last 15 years — a frequency that contradicts the name. How-Sen Chong, spokesperson for Toronto Environmental Alliance, said the storm was "supercharged" by climate change and warned the city should expect more storms like it in future.
Jason Thistlethwaite, an expert on climate resilience and economy at University of Waterloo, agreed Toronto will see more powerful storms. "We're trying to adapt to climate change to a certain extent by looking in the rearview mirror, instead of with a full beam of headlights to where this stuff is," he said. Billions of tax dollars are being spent to guard against flooding and other climate risks, yet Toronto city council approved a long-term climate plan called TransformTO that has not brought in a stormwater tax despite examining the possibility several times. Such a tax could apply to property owners with large non-porous parking lots and give the city a designated pool of money to manage stormwater — but the charges remain controversial at city hall.
How many properties would the stormwater tax affect, and what would the average annual charge be?
What specific flood-mitigation improvements has the city prioritized in TransformTO, and how funded are they?
Why hasn't a stormwater fee been implemented despite council's repeated examination of it?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
When did the storm hit Toronto?
A 100-year storm struck Toronto on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, dropping a month's worth of rain in just hours.
What damage did the storm cause?
The Don River burst its banks, the Don Valley Parkway closed, homes flooded, subway service suspended, and tens of thousands lost power at peak. Trees were toppled across the city and Toronto Island ferry service halted.
How many 100-year storms have hit Toronto recently?
Four 100-year storms have struck Toronto in the last 15 years, a frequency that contradicts the statistical rarity implied by the name.
What stormwater measure has Toronto not yet adopted?
Toronto city council's long-term climate plan TransformTO has not brought in a stormwater tax, despite examining the possibility several times. Such a tax could apply to property owners with large non-porous parking lots and provide the city with dedicated funding to manage stormwater.
Ongoing coverage · Severe Thunderstorm and Weather Warnings
